Of Moons and Flowers
by Hazuzu
Summary: After accidentally saving Luna from a bully, Pansy Parkinson finds herself on the receiving end of the odd girl's affection. Luna's perception of the world proves the biggest obstacle to earning the older girl's trust, but she refuses to give up. Mildly ship-y.


This story was written for the First Round of the Seventh Season of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. I'm writing as Chaser 3 for The Tutshill Tornados.

**Name of round:** Snake Humor

**My task this round is as follows:** Write about a canonly stubborn character faced with insurmountable odds.

**Optional prompts:** 3 (Telescope), 6 ("I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny."), 10 (Sail - Awolnation).

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any part of the world J.K. Rowling has created. It's all hers, from Diagon Alley to Hogwarts to all the people living there.

Thanks to my team for betaing!

**WARNING:** Bullying.

**Title:** Of Moons and Flowers

**Word Count:** 2703 (Google Docs)

* * *

There was a chill in the air, and not just from the height of the Astronomy Tower. No matter how hard the students peered or how clear Professor Sinistra's instructions were, there was barely a star in the sky to greet them.

"Patience, my students, patience," the Professor insisted as she strolled around the ornate structure that dominated the room. Luna had long since lost interest in looking at the stars; there were far more interesting things to be found when looking at the Forbidden Forest, the Great Lake, and the few students that milled about the Hogwarts Grounds for some purpose or another.

Her interest was particularly focused on one of those figures. An older girl, her strong features softened by tears. She'd found a nook to tuck herself in and had surrounded herself with books. It was at once familiar and unfamiliar—she knew how the girl had felt, but she had never seen Pansy Parkinson act in such a way.

Something had to be wrong. She was so far away but looked close enough to touch. If only it were that easy.

Luna stepped away from her telescope, picked up her bag from beside a student sleeping on his feet, and strolled towards the door.

"Miss Lovegood." Professor Sinistra sauntered over to block her path to the door. "What is it you think you're doing? The stars will be out quite soon, I promise you."

"The stars aren't feeling well today, Professor Sinistra." Luna smiled as she met her eyes. "If they don't want to see us, there's nothing we can do. And that's okay. They'll come out next time, or some time after that."

"That's..." Professor Sinistra took another look at the shrouded sky and her shoulders sagged. "Unfortunately, correct. Alright, everyone." She clapped her hands together. "Class is canceled for tonight. No doubt your beds are missing their occupants."

Luna didn't wait to hear the rest of the professor's speech. She floated down the stairs, the destination clear in her head, while the sound of her classmates' trudging echoed at the top of the stairwell. Pansy had been there for her when she needed it most, and no number of failures would stop her from trying to repay that kindness.

As she crossed the grounds towards that little nook to the side of the Great Hall, Luna's mind drifted back to the day Pansy Parkinson had saved her. It was a terrible memory, but also one of her best.

She'd been going about her business like any other day, with the new copy of the Quibbler tucked under one arm and one of her shoes in the other. She'd searched far and wide for its partner and had nowhere left but the Quidditch Pitch. She'd searched the grounds first, then gone up to the seats, then under them. It was there she realized she'd been followed by Tara Bullman, a lanky student who'd forgone her studies in favor of a more enjoyable pastime: bullying.

"Show me that," Tara ordered her, looming like a giant. Luna was about to say no when the Quibbler was snatched away from her. Every nasty comment Tara made bounced off the walls of the changing room, as well as Luna's ears, as she flicked through the pages and made fun of the supposed nonsense. Until she got to the last page. "Dedicated to Pandora Lovegood, is it? Is that a family member of yours? Just as loony as you, I expect."

"She," Luna had to breathe to steady herself. She always did. "She was my mother."

"Was?" Tara snorted. "Did the loony tart die? Eaten by a Snark, I expect." Luna wasn't able to stop the tears, no matter how much she begged them not to fall. That only encouraged the other girl. "Aww, little Bambi lost her mommy." She was frozen in place. Though crying, she wasn't going to give up ground. "Getting shot, yes, that makes more sense. The lot of you ought to be put down, if you ask me."

"Hey, Bullman!" A sneering voice cut through the cacophony of taunts. The door to the side slammed open and Tara took one look at the short shadow its owner cast before her confidence shattered. "I knew it was you. Nobody else walks like so much of a troll." Luna dared to glance over as Pansy Parkinson strode into the room, her face twisted in disgust. "You were talking a load of rubbish about me!"

"N-No, I wasn't, Pansy." Tara took a step back, but Pansy's wand was out and a little burst of flame leaped to where Tara meant to retreat.

"Shut up!" Pansy closed the distance between them, took a little glance at the sobbing Luna, then back at Tara. "You're pathetic, Bullman. I know it was you. And here you are picking on some little girl? Too scared to talk to my face, huh? Answer!" Another whip of flame emerged from her wand and hit Bullman's cheek. It was just a little burn, but Luna's heart had already started to flutter. She was being saved.

"Y-Yes, but, you see—" The girl was interrupted by Pansy pushing the tip of her wand against her cheek. It glowed orange, and when she took it away, a little burn mark was left. Tara whimpered. "I-I'm sorry."

"You should be." Pansy kicked at Tara's shin. "Get on your knees. I'm gonna show you how pathetic you are." A wicked smirk came to her lips. "Say sorry to..." She glanced at Luna. "Who're you?"

"Luna Lovegood," Luna said as she felt her serenity returning. Tara really was just a cruel girl saying cruel things.

"Say it." Pansy presented her wand threateningly, its tip burning anew.

"I'm sorry!" Tara's eyes flicked wildly between Pansy's wand and Luna.

"Again!"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Now prove it." Pansy's grin was growing wider. Luna thought it had a pleasant quality to it, the effect radiant on a face that didn't seem like it smiled often. "Kiss her feet."

"Wh-Wha—" Tara was once more interrupted by a searing wand-tip on her cheek. She whimpered as it was removed. She slowly got down onto her hands and knees, took one last look at Pansy, and kissed Luna's unshod feet. "I'm sorry."

It was an odd feeling. Perhaps she'd normally think it was a mean thing to make someone do, but Tara had said such horrible things about her mother. So she just watched, then nodded.

"Get outta here, Luna," Pansy said, as she used the toe of her shoe to push Tara over. "I'm not done with her."

"Okay." Luna spotted her shoe under one of the benches and pulled it on, along with her other one. She picked up her Quibbler. Then, she took one long look at Pansy and wrapped her in a hug from the side. It wasn't a usual hug, where both people did it, and Pansy didn't react, but she knew the sentiment was there all the same. "Thank you."

"Uh." Pansy's lip curled. "Sure, whatever," she said, and Luna knew the girl wasn't used to her heroics being rewarded. It was something she'd have to rectify.

And she had tried a couple of times since then. She'd delivered a butterbeer cork necklace to Pansy's quarters. She didn't know whether it had gotten to her or not though, because she hadn't seen her wearing it. She'd seen her in the halls and had offered her a free copy of the Quibbler, but Pansy's friends were all around her and discouraged her from taking it. Still, she was determined to make sure that Pansy knew how grateful she was. They had a bond, now.

It was this determination that carried Luna across the grounds of Hogwarts and up to the nook where Pansy was reading. She had been reading, at least, but she didn't seem to be doing that when Luna peered around the corner. The little brick alcove was covered in books, tossed this way and that, while rolls of parchment had been crumpled up and tossed to the side. Pansy's fists were clenched tight, her breathing heavy, and her sobs plump with frustration.

"Good evening." Luna approached her as easily as she would anyone else. Pansy froze for a second, then glanced up to see Luna cast in the light of her lantern. "I was watching you from the Astronomy tower when I noticed you were crying. I've come to pay a visit."

"You..." Pansy's voice was hoarse, like it hurt just to speak. Her bloodshot eyes made Luna's heart sink but steeled her determination. "You were watching me?" she asked with disbelief in her voice. Or was it alarm?

"The stars weren't being very co-operative." Luna shrugged as she walked closer, then sat down on the grass beside Pansy. "You look like you need a hug."

Pansy shifted her body away from Luna, just slightly, but it didn't escape her notice. For some reason, people didn't seem to like it when she pointed out their emotional state. She was quite happy to share her own, and somebody knowing the solution would have helped her many times.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like one?"

"Yeah, no, we're not that close." Pansy adjusted her robes as she looked over the chaos she'd made in her corner.

"I'd like to be," Luna said.

"Uh... Creepy?"

"Is it? Never mind, then." Luna wished she had said yes to a hug. Thus far, she wasn't doing a very good job of cheering the Slytherin up. "Why don't you tell me what's upsetting you? I don't see why these books have made you angry. Are they not the ones you're looking for?"

"What does that even..." Pansy shook her head. "No, it's not because of stupid books. It's just annoying. There are tests coming up and I can't… It's just stupid! I know what I know! I'm the third best Slytherin girl in Defense Against the Dark Arts in our class! And then you gotta remember this extra stuff, the… I don't know, the radius of a Gorgon's glare! And it's not staying in my stup… in my very pretty," she corrected herself, "head."

"You're a very talented witch and a hero," Luna said, with a little more firmness than she'd intended. Why couldn't Pansy see what she could see? Or understand what she was trying to say? It would have been much easier if she were Professor Dumbledore, but she couldn't even grow a beard to look like him, let alone act like him. "Tests aren't very important."

"Yes, yes they are!" Pansy snapped. "My parents will look at them, the professors will look at them, the other students will know what they are somehow! And if they think I'm too dumb, then I'll never be Lady Malfoy! I might as well be that Granger girl, but that wouldn't make sense, because she's still smart!" Her eye twitched. "For a Mudblood."

Luna nodded sagely. People tended to say horrible things when they were frustrated, and Pansy was very frustrated indeed. "When I get upset, I like to go for a walk."

Pansy slowly turned her head to stare at Luna.

Luna smiled.

"How will a walk help me?" Pansy demanded. "What kind of loony idea is that? It's not gonna make me get better scores, and it's too hard!"

"My mum always told me that you should do what makes you happy," Luna said. If there was a source of wisdom that could cross the barrier between her and Pansy, it was her mother. "If you know that you're going to be upset later, it's even more important. That way, when you're sad, you'll be able to think about the good things, and then the bad things won't seem so bad."

"That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. Ever." Pansy sneered. "I'm still not going to do better no matter what I do, unless it's studying, and that's not working!" She booted one of the books across the grass.

Luna furrowed her brow. It wasn't working like it was meant to. Whenever she tried to make friends, this kind of thing happened. As far as she was concerned, what she was doing was normal, but nobody else seemed to see it that way. All it was doing thus far was making Pansy's mood worse. It wasn't getting better, at any rate.

"Would you like a kiss?" Luna asked. She wanted to kiss her. It had always cheered her father up, when her mum had kissed him, and he'd been sad a lot more often since she wasn't around to.

"N… wh… no!" Pansy shunted herself away from Luna, putting her back to the wall and her knees between them. "What's wrong with you? You come here trying to hug me and solve my problems and now you're trying to kiss me? What kinda freak are you?"

"You helped me when Tara Bullman was picking on my mum," Luna said, simply. "She died not long ago. It was very upsetting to hear her say those kinds of things and I don't think she would have stopped if you hadn't come in when you did. She hasn't bullied me since, either. I thought it was very kind."

"Right..." Pansy's dark eyes were still narrowed, but not quite as intently. "You liked that?"

"A lot." Luna bobbed her head. "It was..." She groped around for the word. "Cool."

A little smirk came to Pansy's lips. "Yeah, I am, aren't I?"

Luna's smile grew wider. "You look good when you smile. I wish you would do it more. I sometimes see you smile in the hallways when you're with the other girls, but I don't think it's the same one."

"You watch me around school?" Pansy grimaced.

"Is that not allowed?" Luna asked.

"It's another weird thing."

"I don't mean it to be." Luna shrugged and leaned back against the rock. She was starting to get frustrated with herself. "I keep trying to get close to you, but it hasn't been working, I'm afraid. I have sent you gifts, and I've said nice things, and I've paid very close attention, but it doesn't seem like I'm as close to you as I feel. Like I'm looking at you through a telescope."

"Well, you actually did that, so points there." Pansy pursed her lips. "Is that why I got a cork necklace in my room? Was that you?"

"Yes!" Luna leaned in as she nodded. "To protect you from nargles. They're very mischievous. Perhaps they've been distracting you from studying without you noticing. You really should have worn it, I think."

"... Right." Pansy suppressed a shudder. "I'm not… it's—You're a freaking weirdo! Nobody wants junk sent to their rooms, or to be stalked, or given a bunch of crappy advice. Like, I get it, I stopped Bullman, and you're grateful, and that's fine, but you're not doing it right. Buy me chocolates. Tell me I'm pretty in a way that's not creepy. Just, y'know, stop that! Stop that? And maybe we'll be cool."

"I would like that." Luna nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, I guess." Pansy took one long look at her spilled study material, slammed her fist on the ground, and started to gather it up. "I'm going to bed," she said as Luna shifted over to help her. Soon enough, all of it was packed away and her bag was slung over her shoulder. She stood up, and Luna stood with her.

"You're pretty," Luna said.

Pansy grimaced, then turned on her heel and walked away.

Luna took a long look at the ground. She hadn't made a friend of Pansy Parkinson. Something about who she was was making it all too difficult, making her want to settle herself back into the corner for a good, long cry. But no matter how bad she felt, or how much distance her personality put between her and other people, she had to hope that she'd overcome it one day. A little bit of sadness didn't mean she couldn't be happy, no matter how many times it came.

So Luna lit up her wand with a whispered "Lumos!" and went for a walk.


End file.
